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Local

  • County Council OKs plan to build new courthouse

    Lancaster County voters will have a choice – sort of - in how the county pays for a new courthouse.

    County Council met Wednesday to discuss an installment-purchase plan to pay for a new courthouse.

    The Lancaster County School District used an installment-purchase plan a few years ago to build the new Indian Land High School and pay for renovations at other county schools. It involves the sale of bonds, which are then paid back by taxes.

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  • $12,000 offered for info on arsons

    County Council upped the reward for information leading to the arrest of those involved with last week's fires at the Lancaster County Courthouse and the 6th Circuit Solicitor's office.

    At the end of a special meeting Wednesday, County Council voted to add $10,000 to the reward offered by the S.C. Arson Hotline.

    "This shows they're serious about trying to get someone to call and give information about the fires," said Allison Love, executive director of the S.C. Insurance News Service.

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  • Late councilman's son hopes to fill City Council seat

    Racarda Blackmon wants to follow in his father's footsteps.

    Blackmon, the son of former Lancaster City Councilman Preston Blackmon, announced this week that he will run for the District 1 seat, which his father held until his death Aug. 3.

    Preston Blackmon, who served on city council 31 years, was 82.

    His son made the announcement at City Council's meeting Tuesday evening.

    The people still need good representation for District 1, Racarda Blackmon said. I'm a man of integrity. I'm not after greed or political gain."

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  • Heart of summer beats strong at Kershaw event

    The heart of summer was beating strong in Kershaw this past weekend for the first ever Heart of Summer festival.

    It brought people out to enjoy a range of activities, beginning with the Heart of Summer Sweetheart contest Friday night. Sunni Kennington was crowned Heart of Summer Sweetheart in the Teen Miss category.

    The weather was beautiful Saturday morning as more than 250 motorcycles rode into town from as far away as Augusta, Ga.

    Festivalgoers enjoyed music broadcast by disc jockey Jay Taylor of Interstate 107 WRHM in Rock Hill.

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  • Barfield: Court 'still alive'

    Fires at the 6th Circuit Solicitor's Office and Lancaster County Courthouse haven't stopped the court system.

    Sixth Circuit Solicitor Doug Barfield said Tuesday morning that the courts are "still alive."

    "We have a pulse. We're still breathing," he said.

    By the end of this week, Barfield will have a new office set up in the basement of the County Administration Building.

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  • Two teens charged in robbery

    Beefed up security over the weekend may have been the reason authorities were able to make quick arrests in an armed robbery Sunday.

    The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office has charged Demarco Fonte' Blair, 19, of 1936 Devine St., and Cedrick Arkeem Creighton, 17, of 1685 Beaker Road, Heath Springs, each with two counts of armed robbery.

    Deputies say they robbed two men at gunpoint at a car wash on Great Falls Highway about 3 a.m. Sunday.

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  • Referendum question to change – it's no longer a question if a new courthouse will be built

    It's no longer a matter of if the county will build a new courthouse.

    The questions now are when and how to pay for it.

    County Council is exploring a new way to fund the construction of a new courthouse after an arsonist set fire to the historic Lancaster County Courthouse last week.

    Before the fire, council had approved two of three readings to hold a bond referendum to raise $33 million to build a new courthouse. The funds would have come from an extra 1 percent sales tax put on the ballot for voters to approve in the Nov. 4 general election.

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  • County may raise taxes to pay for new security

    Off-duty sheriff's deputies are providing security at the County Administration Building and Family Court Building on Catawba Street in the wake of two arsons at court buildings last week.

    The deputies don't have a choice.

    On Aug. 7, after the fire at 6th Circuit Solicitor Doug Barfield's office, and three days after the burning of the Lancaster County Courthouse, Circuit Judge Brooks Goldsmith gave an order for the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office to provide security at county buildings until further notice.

    The deputies are being paid overtime to provide security.

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  • USCL launches Lancers baseball

    The University of South Carolina at Lancaster got the jump on a new era in Lancers' athletics just after midnight Monday.

    The Lancers, who are fielding a baseball team for the first time in school history, opened their practice for the fall. The official opening of fall practice was Monday.

    The Lancers, with 54 players in the fold, played two five-inning games.

    Fans were filing in by around 11:30 p.m. and the group number reached as high as 75 at one point, including a group tailgating in right center field.

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  • Authorities say progress in being made

    Authorities have confirmed that the fire at the 6th Circuit Solicitor’s office last week was indeed arson. However, no arrests have been made in either that fire or the one Aug.

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